Factbox - Australian rugby union player Israel Folau

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SYDNEY (Reuters) - Wallabies fullback Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia on Friday after he was found to have committed a high level breach of the players’ code of conduct by sharing a social media post:

** Struggles to adapt to the new code and appears in 13 of the Giants’ 22 games in their debut AFL season in 2012, with the side finishing bottom of the table.

RUGBY UNION

** Switches to rugby union at the end of 2012, signing a one-year contract with the New South Wales Waratahs.

** Is selected for the Wallabies for the series against the British and Irish Lions, scoring two tries in his test debut on the wing before cementing himself as the first-choice fullback.

** Signs a contract extension through until the 2015 Rugby World Cup and helps the Waratahs to their first Super Rugby title in 2014. Is named Australia’s Player of the Year, winning the John Eales Medal, which he would win again in 2015 and 2017.

CONTROVERSY

** Having converted to the Pentecostal church as an adult, Folau provokes controversy in 2017 with comments that he does not support gay marriage, going against RA’s public stance.

** Uses social media in April 2018 to state he believed gay people would go to hell if they did not repent, prompting several sponsors to voice their displeasure.

** RA do not sanction Folau, but remind players of their social media responsibilities.

** Becomes Super Rugby’s highest try scorer when he scores his 60th try against the Auckland Blues in April, then days later uses social media to share biblical quotations and states that sinners, including gay people, would go to hell unless they repented.

** RA begin disciplinary proceedings, with a three-person panel finding on May 7 he was guilty of a ‘high-level’ breach of the code of conduct.